


lessons in sharing

by blastheart



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-20
Updated: 2011-01-20
Packaged: 2017-10-14 22:06:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/153968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blastheart/pseuds/blastheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuri and Flynn as kids in the Lower Quarter. Possibly not compliant with the First Strike movie. Rather silly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	lessons in sharing

Yuri had spotted the swordsman performing a demonstration in the central area of Zaphias. He had watched intently for half an hour for as the grizzled old man moved gracefully through a series of intricate motions to the amazement of the crowd, who didn't know what they were seeing. He then drifted through the crowd long enough to pick up a name and an address, and then ran back down to the Lower Quarter to get Flynn.

Flynn had, if possible, watched the man even more intently than Yuri before nodding. Finally, they had found a teacher to meet both of their exacting standards.

The only problem was that if both Yuri and Flynn pooled their money and mooched food off their downstairs neighbours for a month, they could just about afford _one_ spot at the man's dojo. No exceptions, the self-important guard at the door had said. No brains, Yuri had said (once Flynn had dragged him safely out of earshot.)

Flynn had tentatively suggested going to a different teacher that might be a little cheaper, but Yuri had rejected it out of hand ("How are you going to learn with a lousy teacher?") and to be honest, his heart was just as set on getting the best teacher he possibly could as Yuri's was. Maybe even more so.

Back in their room, Yuri and Flynn tossed a series of increasingly silly suggestions at each other before turning glum. Neither minded sharing their food or their room or anything they had. But you couldn't cut a teacher in half and share him that way, could you?

"Listen, Yuri-" began Flynn.

"No," snapped Yuri.

"I didn't even say anything!"

"You didn't have to! I said no! Idiot!"

Flynn sighed and turned away.

Some minutes later, Yuri said hesitantly, "Say, Flynn-"

"No," said Flynn.

"Hey! I didn't say anything!" Yuri said indignantly.

"Allow me to quote," said Flynn mischievously, "You didn't have to, I said no, idi-" He was cut off by a pillow landing in his face. He picked it up and eyed Yuri, who was eyeing him back, grinning.

Well, there was really only one way to answer that. Flynn threw the pillow back at Yuri and they were just getting really into it when a few insistent taps came from the front door.

Guiltily, Flynn got off Yuri (dodging a few kicks on the way) and went to answer the door. It was the innkeeper from downstairs; Flynn liked her, but he couldn't help but wince in embarassment.

"I'm sorry about the noise.."

"It's not a problem," said the older woman, waving it off. "But it's Hal's shift, and he gets headaches, so-"

She was interrupted by a yelp. Both Flynn and the innkeeper turned to stare at Yuri, who exclaimed, "That's it! _Shifts!_ We can do it in SHIFTS! It's perfect!"

The innkeeper looked quizzically at Flynn, who just shrugged. After a while, she shrugged too. Everyone in the Lower Quarter knew Yuri and Flynn and were used to finding them confusing.

*****

"Listen," Yuri said. "You go to the first one. No, hear me out."

"If you're sure-" Flynn began doubtfully.

"Of _course_ I'm sure. You're better at buttering people up than I am. And you're a terrible liar."

"I never buttered anyone up in my life," Flynn began in irritation, "and excuse me for not having your criminal inclinations."

"Your MOM has criminal inclinations," answered Yuri, with the air of delivering a devastating comeback. "Anyway, shut up and stop arguing, it'll work out."

So the next day, Flynn appeared at the door of the dojo in his nicest clothes, paid the considerable fee to take the test, walked inside and looked around.

He was at least two heads shorter than any of the other students at the dojo, but he didn't seem intimidated either by the company or by the fact that he would shortly have to face a fairly harsh physical test to be accepted as a student. If you had asked him why, he would have answered honestly (as always) that this was because he wasn't worried about the test, and as for the size of the other students, what difference did that make to him?

He would, however have left out the fact that he wasn't actually worried about the test because he was too busy worrying about what Yuri was up to. As a result, he answered the questions put to him, waited in line for his turn, neatly dodged the burly assistant's blows, spun back to grab the surprised man's wrist, and tossed him overhand onto the floor while mentally drafting a really good lecture to Yuri.

The sound of indrawn breaths and the sudden weight of a heavy hand landing on his shoulder brought him back to reality. The whole room was staring at him, and most importantly the master of the dojo was looking closely at him. Flynn blinked quickly to try to focus, feeling a flush rise in his cheeks.

"Well done. But you shouldn't hold your arm like that, you'll strain yourself if you do it too long. You want to be looser." The man demonstrated.

"Yes, sir."

The teacher grunted. "What's your name, boy?"

"Flynn Scifo, sir."

"Hmph. Where's your friend?"

"I'm sorry?" Flynn asked politely.

"Your friend, with the black hair. Watched me like a hawk before getting you. Isn't he coming?"

"Er. I'm sorry, I don't know who you're talking about.." said Flynn, somewhat faintly.

The old man watched him closely for a long, uncomfortable instant before snorting and turning away, clapping his hands as he did so. "Right! Now, this is what I expect from my students..."

****

The sky was turning dark when Flynn finally came walking back to the Lower Quarter. Not that it was ever truly dark, with the electric pulse of the barrier blastia high overhead. Flynn stopped a moment to inhale the evening breeze. It really was a beautiful city. He felt lucky to be alive in it.

He just didn't know how he would ever thank Yuri.

Flynn wasn't surprised to see that Yuri had waited up for him. He waited patiently for Flynn to describe the lesson and demonstrate several of the exercises, finishing with, "It was wonderful, you should really study with him too.."

Yuri grinned sharply for the first time that evening. "I'm glad to hear that. It's good, since I'm going next time."

"Really?" asked Flynn, elated. "Oh Yuri, you'll love it! But the money..."

"We settled that, didn't we? 'Flynn Scifo' paid his entrance fee _and_ passed the test with flying colours. Of course they'll let him in."

It took a while for the pin to drop - and with it, Flynn's jaw. "That's _ridiculous!_ "

"How is it ridiculous?" demanded Yuri, his blue eyes dancing with the audacity of the idea. "'Flynn Scifo' paid the fee. So 'Flynn Scifo' is going to go to _every single class_ and get his money's worth."

Flynn couldn't help laughing a little at the idea, but he found himself drawn in by it anyway. He paused. Actually, there was a problem there..

Yuri saw his troubled expression and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Isn't that.. kind of cheating?"

Yuri gave him a Look that meant "your stupid morals are interfering with my life again". Flynn sighed.

"It'll work," said Yuri coolly. "Trust me. Now show me that move again."

The next week, the teacher's assistant was calling off names for attendance. There was a bit of a rustle when he called for Flynn Scifo, since people had been curious about the incredible half-pint genius.

"Here," said a light voice. Everyone turned to look.

And then everybody stared, because while the young boy who was calmly returning the assistant's gaze was indeed two heads shorter than the other students and dressed in the clean but shabby clothing that marked him as a resident of the Lower Quarter, he was manifestly not Flynn Scifo. His hair was longer, for one thing, and black instead of blond, and there was a cocky expression on his face instead of an embarassed flush.

But for all that, when the teacher had turned around to make sense of the ruckus and asked him, "Who the hell are you?" the kid still answered "Flynn Scifo."

"I see," the teacher said caustically. "What happened to your hair, then? Fell in a mud puddle on the way?"

"It's a wig," returned Yuri, calmly.

The old man snorted. "Fine, Flynn Scifo. Show me what we learned last week, will you?"

Snickers went around the hall as the other students waited for Yuri's reaction. This was entertainment they hadn't expected when they'd signed up for this class.

Unlike Flynn, however, Yuri appeared unmoved at the attention. He drew his sword and coolly went through the warmup exercises the teacher had introduced the last class, executing them flawlessly except for a small unorthodox flourish at the end.

The teacher lifted an eyebrow. "Very well. Now explain why a swordsman would want to use an old sword instead of a new one?"

"Because the skills of the previous owner will have seeped into the sword," replied Yuri, repeating the last week's lesson.

The teacher snorted and looked hard at him again. Yuri stared back. The older man finally barked a laugh and shook his head. "Fine, Flynn Scifo. Just make sure you keep up, understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

The week after, when Flynn appeared shyly at the door, he was prepared for some curious stares and some snickers. He wasn't prepared for the teacher to call him over. "Hey, Flynn Scifo! Where's your wig?"

"I'm.. sorry?" he asked, completely baffled. The old man snorted. "Never mind. Care to review last week's lesson for the class, boy?"

Flynn didn't trust himself not to sound like an idiot, so he silently began the exercise, which Yuri had drilled him in all week. He performed them smoothly and elegantly, but without any additions.

The teacher watched him intently throughout before turning away and addressing the class. Flynn let himself breathe out, feeling light-headed. Maybe they would survive this crazy idea of Yuri's after all.

****

At the second-to-last class, their teacher called Flynn over. "I want both of you to come to the next class. No games. You understand me, Flynn Scifo?"

Flynn took a deep breath. "..Yes, sir."

A week later, Yuri and Flynn waited anxiously for all the other students to dribble out of the dojo before their teacher called them over.

"Now then," the old man began peremptorily. "I'm minded to recommend Flynn Scifo to the knights. But I can only pull enough strings for one berth. Which one of you is the real Flynn?"

Silence, for a few seconds. And then both boys pointed at each other and said in unison, "He is."

Silence reigned again for a few seconds before Yuri exploded. "Are you _stupid?_ Are you trying to ruin your _career?_ "

"I could say the same of you!" Flynn returned hotly. They glared at each other for a while before their teacher cleared his throat. Flynn blushed and turned to face him while Yuri seemed inclined to keep up the argument.

"I've been very indulgent with you both. I don't let just anyone study with me and I've only tolerated your shenanigans because you both have too much talent to waste. You owe it to me to at least tell me who you are!"

Flynn opened his mouth. Yuri clamped a hand on it. "I'll tell you if you recommend us both."

Flynn's outrage lent him enough energy to break free. " _Yuri-!!_ " The other boy was glaring back at him defiantly. "If anyone should go it should be you. But I want us both to do it."

"Yuri.." The old man sighed and stared into the distance for a while. Both Yuri and Flynn, sensing that this was not a time to interrupt, stayed silent. Finally the old man spoke.

"Alright, lad," Yuri's teacher growled. "You win. I'll recommend both of you to the Knights. Now just tell an old man your name before you leave, will you?"

The boy turned around, his long black hair whipping with the motion. His eyes gleamed. "Yuri Lowell!"


End file.
